An 20-something American Woman Teaching in France Since 2013

Horray! French Women are Finally Allowed to Wear Pants!

So, you think the French are a progressive bunch when it comes to gender equality? Well, think again. The French NEVER leave the house in sweatpants or ratty jeans, but that’s not just because they dress chic– it’s also against the law.

Until last Friday, it was actually illegal for a woman to wear anything other than a skirt or dress, unless the woman in question “holds in her hand the handlebars of a bicycle or the reins of a horse,” ~ Refinery29

The law dated back to 1800, and required any woman wishing to dress like a man request permission from the police. In 1909, exceptions were made for bikes and horses, but 104 years later, the law has finally been abolished.